Insulted
by SkySymphonix
Summary: Shepard won't have it. He will not be indoctrinated. He will NOT be a puppet. He will hold the line. THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED ONCE AGAIN.
1. Chapter 1

"They are my solution."

Shepard looked at the Catalyst. "What?" He exclaimed. "What in the name of- are you making fun of me?"

The Catalyst looked at him. "I am not."

"That makes not an ounce of fucking sense! You created synthetics to kill organics because organics would make synthetics that would kill the organics? Or did I miss something?"

The Catalyst stayed silent.

"You know, nothing you said has made any sense. When you explained to me these contraptions... you called the Reapers... _us._" Shepard lifted his gun to the star child's face. "... Rot in hell."

The room echoed with a bang.

* * *

Shepard gasped, lifted his head. On his knees, he looked around. He was back in London. Husks littered the ground. A Marauder laid next to Shepard, it's shields defunct. Kneeling, trying to get up, Shepard fell over. Catching himself on the elbow, he noticed something laying on the ground. A mask. A very familiar mask. Tali's. Shepard panicked.

"Tali? TALI!" He screamed, stumbling around the deserted battlefield. "Dammit, don't die on me!"

He tripped over a body. He fell, and turned toward the object. There laid Tali Zorah, his only love. She was breathing, and Shepard knew that there was still time. Slapping the mask back onto her face, and leaning her up against a broken down wall, Shepard tended to her.

He saw her eyes flutter open. "I-Issac...?"

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here. How long has it been-," Shepard grunted as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Gripping it for a moment, he continued his sentence. " Ugh, how long has it been since you were first exposed to this atmosphere...?"

Tali shook her head, breathing heavily. "A-about five minutes..."

Shepard sighed, mouthing 'oh thank god'.

Tali lifted her hand, and cupped Shepard's cheek. "Y-you... are dirty Shepard... we need to get you clean. You have several lacerations..."

Shepard noticed the pain, screaming in the very back of his soul. "Yeah... Oh shit, I can tell. Whats the word from-,"

"Commander?" Came a familiar voice.

"Hackett?" Shepard exclaimed happily. "Thank god."

The admiral sighed. "I could say the same for you. I need to know where you've been Shepard. We lost contact from you after the blast on your squad."

"I'm fine... had a hell of a dream."

"Dream? Tell me Shepard."

"Well... I got to the Citadel, and there were these mechanisms-,"

"And a mysterious person gave you three choices. Merge, destroy and control."

"What...? How did you...?"

"It was an attempt by Harbinger to fully indoctrinate you and Anderson."

Shepard's eyes went wide. "Is Anderson there?"

Hackett sighed. "Yes. He is severely wounded. We have recovered the Illusive Man's corpse. He's also indoctrinated. Rendevous with us at Spear Four and I'll explain. Hackett out."

Shepard was dumbfounded. What had just happened? How did Hackett have all this information?

"Tali, can you walk?"

Tali slowly rose. "I may be down... but I'm not out..." She said with a wheeze.

Shepard cringed. He never should have taken her to the final push. Her suit was visibly damaged, a puncture in the side. If he didn't help her soon, she would soon be dead.

"Issac, it's okay... I... have dampening systems on the inside of this suit..."

"Always prepared. Let's go Tali."

* * *

Garrus Vakarian sat up against a wall, his blood pouring from a hole in his stomach. "Oh _hell_... Squad Seven, what's your status?"

"We're pinned down, we can't get to Shepard's position... sorry sir."

Garrus cursed under a sigh. "Okay, fall back. We've at least bough him some time to get out of-,"

"Wait, sir!"

"What is it?"

"It's... it's the commander!"

Garrus's eyes lit up. Peeking over his cover, he saw his old friend mowing down cannibals. "Shit, Shepard! How in the hell are you still alive?"

A distorted voice came over the radio, but Garrus could make it out. "_I g-got l-l-lucky._"

"Vakarian?" Boomed Hackett's voice over the comm.

Garrus opened up communication. "Yessir?"

"Shepard is coming in on your position. He's got vital-,"

"Information, yeah I've heard it a thousand times. Don't worry, he's not gonna die on my watch."

Garrus swore he heard Hackett smile over the speaker. "Alright. Hackett out."


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard approached Spear Four. There was an amalgam of species and soldiers standing together. It was good to finally see these people together. Shepard caught himself. These people came together on their own agendas. But he could see a brotherhood forming. That relieved the commander. As Shepard entered the camp, people turned to him. Shepard heard shouting in the middle of the crowd. He saw a big amphibious head bobbing up and down. Wrex approached Shepard smiling.

"SHEPARD! Ha ha! NOTHING can kill you can it? Collectors? NO! Saren? A JOKE! Hahaha! And then you take a shot from Harbinger head on? I'm amazed! If you were born a Krogan, HA! The females would be pining for some action!" Wrex put a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

Shepard smiled. "Fine, but Tali needs medical attention. Garrus too."

Wrex gave him a concerned look. "Where are they?"

"Behind me, Tali was checking out some Reaper tech. Garrus stayed with her."

"Okay, well, I should go Shepard." Wrex smiled.

"Haha, okay Wrex, good luck. And take care of Tali."

"Y'know the Admiralty Board is gonna have a fit when they find out about that."

"Yeah... I know."

Shepard gave Wrex a hearty hug and walked away. The sharp sting still shot through his arm, making Shepard shiver with pain. _I need to get to Hackett, and soon._

The commander approached the main encampment. As he approached, he received a comm call from Joker.

"Commander?"

"Joker!"

"Oh man, thank god you're alive! After Harbinger hit you... shit, how do you do this stuff?"

"I'm not prone to dying."

"I know and it's funny. Guess this isn't our last adventure?"

Shepard sighed. "Well, it depends on if I'm going to risk my life_ again._"

"Okay, you better get the lowdown from the Admiral then."

"Yeah, I-,"

"Should go?"

"Read my mind Joker."

"Normandy out."

Shepard heard the confirmation beep as the connection closed. Shepard looked around at the utter devastation. A building had been loosened from the ground after loads of punishment, and finally decided to topple over onto the original Spear Four. The Spear Four that was rebuilt was also in shambles. Reapers had unleashed their full fury on the base of the Alliance's main control center. Now it was quiet. This gave Shepard a good opportunity to observe the base.

There were a few gun placements, Husks littering the ground below it. The gun placements dug in deep. So deep that it looked near impossible to get past if you were an attacker. The toppled building actually gave to their advantage, as any invading forces would have to funnel through into the building. There was the case of Husks and their climbing ability, but because of the dug-in gun placement, it would be near impossible to cath the Alliance forces by surprise. Clearly a superior position. There were at least four or five Mako tanks, a Firewalker, and a Rosalie stood in the corner, menacingly. Only four gates surrounded the camp, tents outright outnumbering the amount of gates. A main war room stood overlooking the camp overall. It stood on a hill, another superior position. Shepard wondered if Hackett himself had planned and built this base.

Shepard winced as he heard people screaming. One was screaming for his mother. Shepard remembered that voice. It was slightly familiar, and it made Shepard turn. He saw Zaeed standing there smiling. "Got you Shepard."

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. "You're a part of this too?"

"How could I **not **be? Shepard, remember when we met on Omega?"

"Yeah, and you had that Batarian prisoner?"

"Well, I wanted to be an even bigger goddamn hero. Bigger part o' something." Zaeed let out a deep laugh.

"I have to get to Hackett. I'll see you soon Zaeed."

"You too Commander."

"I need a force here," A finger slapped a paper map sitting on a wooden table. "And I need to establish a link with the little communication systems we have to Spear Seven."

A soldier snapped to attention as Shepard entered the tent. As the soldier turned, his face lit up like the skies on independence day. "Y-you're commander-,"

"Shepard. Excuse me, but I need to talk to Hackett."

"Y-yessir commander sir!"

Hackett turned to the Commander. "Thank the stars you're alive. How are you holding up?"

"I'm holding up fine. Where's Anderson?"

"He's in the medical tent. His condition is stabilizing. I can't say the same about the Illusive Man."

Shepard gave the Admiral a shocked look. "He's here? Whats his condition?"

"Critical. Get down there, and see what you can get out of him." Hackett said sternly. "Look Commander... after this is over, I'm giving you leave. I suggest you retire after this."

Shepard smiled. "Yeah, I-... I'll think about that."

The machines were keeping him alive. He could feel the control with every breath. It spread like an infection. It became painful, like a scalpel being dragged across his skin slowly. Every inch of his being was in extreme pain. And then he heard someone speak.

_...speak..._

He looked around. "Hello?"

_...speak... ...the end of your life span... ...is here... ...you have served us well... ...and everything you have done... ...will be of use..._

The Illusive Man looked around the completely empty void around him. "Is this death...?"

"No."

The Illusive man turned to see a familiar figure.

"Shepard."

"Yeah. Tell me Illu-,"

The Illusive Man cut him off. "Call me by my name now Shepard. My title is unconventional now that I'm so vulnerable."

"Okay then, what is it?"

"Martin."

Shepard nodded. "Martin... why did you do this...? Why indoctrinate yourself? Why bring me back?"

"Why ask me questions you already have the answer to?"

Shepard stayed stoic, crossing his arms.

"Humanity. That's why, and you know it. After you cut communications with me after the collectors... well... I did what anybody in my position would do. I stayed two steps ahead of you."

Shepard looked at Martin. "Yeah, but fusing yourself with Reaper tech was an idiotic move. Why did you, one of the smartest minds in the galaxy, do something like that?"

"You flatter me Shepard. I did it for humanity. Imagine, me, controlling the Reapers! We talked on the 'Catalyst' about this. All I can say Shepard is... I wish you could see Earth like I do."

Shepard sighed. "All I've been through... everything I've gone through these past few years... I've died, been resurrected, been indoctrinated, and I've fought the first Reaper to appear in 50,000 years. I've become the first human Specter. And after all I've experienced... I still can't figure you out. It's not racism. You just believe in Humanistic superiority?"

Martin dropped his head before snapping it back at Shepard. "Do you want to know why I believe in Human superiority?" He started. "When I was a boy, my father told me that I would amount to nothing. That Humans were weak. That if there ever were going to be any competition between the species, we would have to advance centuries ahead of them. We're a nubile species. That's why Shepard. Because my father told me that we're weak. Do you know who my father is?"

Shepard shook his head.

"He was the founder of Cerberus. He told me this on his deathbed."

"Why did you take this to heart?"

"Because after years of him abusing me and my mother, and him having the last laugh! **How in the hell was I supposed to take that? **HOW SHEPARD? TELL ME-," Martin abruptly stopped. He started to glow in yellow light. Is eyes started to glow, and voice resounded, echoing in the void.

..._Shepard... ...You are interfering yet again... ...you refuse to give in... ...why do you refuse..._

Shepard looked at the source of the light. "Because we refuse to give up. We're going to end the cycle."

_...ridiculous human... ...so young... ...so naive... ...your species is a fledgling... _

"I've had enough with the insults on humanity." The commander murmured.

..._we are not infallible Shepard... ...You will fall..._

Shepard murmured "We'll see about that." Before the 'connection' cut out.

"Did you find anything out Shepard?" Asked Hackett as Shepard stood up. Javik had his hands on both Shepard and Martin's heads. He was transmitting brain signals, as the Illusive Man was so far under Reaper control.

"No, unfortunately." Shepard said. He had been cleaned up. He wore his usual N7 leather jacket and jeans.

"Well, maybe we can ask Anderson. What did the Illusive Man say anyways?" Piped up Tali from the corner. Hackett and Shepard looked over to her.

"Just about everything we know. Just a little about his past. His father, his name..." Shepard said in a tired tone.

"His name is Martin?" Hackett asked curiously.

"Yes. I'm actually surprised he opened up like that."

"Hmm, odd. Well, Shepard, I need you and a small team to head to Spear Seven, and find Anderson. He was retrieved from the site of the final push."

Shepard looked at Hackett. "I never got the rundown on things."

"Right. I figured I'd have someone debrief you. Vega!" Hackett called over his shoulder.

Lieutenant James Vega ran into the tent, out of breath. "S-sir! Oh shit... Loco!"

Shepard smiled. "Good to see you too Vega."

Vega smiled. "Holy hell... you look like total _shit!_"

Shepard gave a wry smile. "I'm not going to die yet."

Vega cleared his throat. "Well, commander, at about twelve hundred, you went under. You were out for about two hours. We never managed to make it aboard the Catalyst."

Shepard grimaced. "I've been out for two hours...?"

"Loco, don't sweat it. Two years is a lot longer than two hours, and you got back after that. Anyways, we managed to push the Reapers back from their position about seven clicks from Spear Seven."

"So I'm going in close to Reaper territory?"

"Yessir, but we'll have a good team escort you. We had four people volunteer. Grunt, Zaeed, Jack, and Garrus."

Shepard smiled. "That bastard Garrus wont go down eh? Last time I saw him, he had-,"

A voice cut Shepard off. "A hole through my stomach yeah." Garrus approached Shepard. "I'm going, you know that."

Shepard sighed. "No, you're not. You have a severe injury. It's not happening."

Garrus let out a sigh. "Thank the gods. I'm feeling horrible. Y'know Shepard, we've been through a lot. If you're gonna die, I'm dying with yo-,"

Shepard grabbed Garrus's shoulders. "No Garrus! I'm not letting you do this. I'm not letting you throw your life away. I have to phrase this right not to sound... well, you know."

That elicited a laugh from Garrus. "Well, I'm sold then. At least take Grunt along with you."

Shepard nodded. "Yeah. I will. Good luck Garrus."

"You too commander."


End file.
